Do we need DPDP consent to treat a patient?

Short answer: Not for treatment; yes for extra uses

Usually not for the treatment itself. A patient who comes for care gives data voluntarily for that purpose, and a medical emergency involving a threat to life is a listed use. Clinical consent for procedures is a separate medical and legal requirement and stays. Extra uses such as research, marketing, testimonials and sharing beyond what care and billing need do require DPDP consent.

What the law says

Section 7(a) covers data given voluntarily for a specified purpose; Section 7(f) and 7(g) cover emergencies and epidemics.

Section 7: Some uses need no consent: data a person gave voluntarily for a specified purpose, duties under law, medical emergencies involving a threat to life, health services during an epidemic, safety during a disaster, and purposes of employment.
Section 6: Consent must be free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous, given by a clear action, limited to the data needed for the purpose, and as easy to withdraw as it was to give.
Section 5 · Rule 3: When you ask for consent, give a clear notice that stands on its own: what data, for what purpose, how to withdraw consent, how to use the rights and how to complain to the Data Protection Board. For data collected before the Act, a notice is due as soon as reasonably practicable.

Steps

Keep clinical consent forms as they are.
Add a short notice at registration.
Add separate boxes for research, offers and stories.
Record which box each patient ticked.
Train front desk to explain the difference.

Evidence to keep

Registration notice
Consent records for extra uses

Common mistakes

One form that bundles treatment and marketing
Calling clinical consent 'DPDP consent'
No notice at registration

From each seat

DPO / Privacy lead: This is the core message for front-desk training.
CEO / MD: Expect fewer marketing lists; that is the point.
Legal & compliance: Rewrite forms with separate boxes.
Medical director: Clinicians should know which uses need consent.

What a good answer from management sounds like

“Treatment rests on the patient's purpose. Research, offers and stories each have a separate, recorded consent.” Effort and time: Light · 3 to 6 weeks.